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Miscellaneous unorganized material/KWUN
| homepage = www.kswt.com| }} KWUN, is a full-service television station serving the Yuma, Arizona / El Centro, California television market. Licensed to Yuma, it serves as the Disney Channel and Disney XD affiliates. the latter exclusively on a DTV subchannel. It broadcasts locally in analog on VHF channel 58 and in digital on UHF channel 26, and is owned by the Pappas Telecasting Companies of Visalia, California under the name Pappas Telecasting of Arizona. History edit KNBM-TV When the FCC lifted the freeze on new television station applications in 1952, they allocated VHF channels 11 and 58 for broadcast television service in Yuma. Valley Telecasting quickly applied for and opened KIVA on channel 11, becoming the city's first television station in October 1953. Wrather-Alvarez Broadcasting followed with a January 1956 application to build KAYD on channel 58, but failed, and in September 1958, the construction permit was dismissed.345 By November 1961, more than eight years after the arrival of local television, Yuma was still a one-station town. In November 1961, Robert Crites, owner and manager of local CBS-affiliated radio station KBLU, formed a partnership, called Desert Telecasting, and applied to the FCC on November 30, 1961 for a construction permit to build a station on channel 58. New England Industries had filed a competing application for the same channel nearly a month earlier, but on January 1, 1965, the FCC granted the construction permit to Desert Telecasting, and KNBM-TV came into existence, to be the market’s CBS television affiliate until KECY-TV signed on as the area's CBS affiliate before flipping to Fox.61 It would not be an easy road to sign-on, as Bruce Merrill, owner of both KIVA and the local cable television system, was convinced that the market could not support a second local television station and fought to keep the new station from opening. Merrill opposed a KNBM-TV partnership restructure, an extension of time to construct the station, and a proposal to increase power, then, in September 1963, filed a "motion to stay" to prevent KNBM-TV from building its facilities.789 All of Merrill’s petitions were denied, and on the evening of December 2, 1963, one hour after receiving notice of program test authority, KNBM-TV began broadcasting.2 The station expanded its coverage to El Centro in 1965 with another increase in power, and relocation of its transmitter from within the city of Yuma to a site atop Black Mountain, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Yuma, at a much greater height above average terrain. It also opened an office and studio in El Centro to better serve the Imperial Valley.10 On December 7, 1966, Desert Telecasting filed an application to transfer the stations to Eller Telecasting, part of Eller Outdoor Advertising Company. Ownership of the station would pass to Karl Eller, but the station would continue to be managed by Crites, who became president of Eller Telecasting.11 KNBM-TV became part of Combined Communications in 1968, when its parent, Eller Outdoor Advertising Company, merged with KTAR Broadcasting Company.1213 The sudden demise of KIVA in January 1970 spelled more changes for KNBM-TV, which immediately moved to acquire the NBC affiliation, while the CBS affiliation passed to new station KECC-TV (now KECY-TV).14 KNBM-TV also took over the television studio facilities formerly occupied by KIVA. In July 1977, Combined Communications announced that it was selling both radio station KBLU and TV station KNBM-TV, but to different owners. The TV station would keep its independent affiliation, but was to be sold to Chapman Television of Tuscaloosa, effective January 1, 1978, pending FCC approval.15 As FCC rules in effect at the time prohibited two stations to share call letters unless commonly-owned, and the radio station was keeping the KBLU call letters, Chapman requested the call sign KWUN. The call sign was found to be in use, but it was on a ship which had not been in service since 1803.16 The FCC approved the sale on November 1, 1970 and in 1974, KNBM-TV became KWUN.17 edit KNBM-TV / KWUN Chapman Television did not keep the station long, selling it to Service Broadcasters, Inc. in November 1978, who, in turn, sold it to Beam Broadcasters as a independent station in November 1983 (later known as Beacon Broadcasters) then in 1986, KWUN became a Disney Channel affiliate. In September 1991, Beacon Broadcasters sold the station to KB Media, who promptly renamed the station KWUN. It remained an NBC affiliate until shortly after KYMA went on the air, when it took the ABC affiliation. In September 1994, CBS affiliate KECY-TV flipped to FOX, and KWUN took over the as the Disney Channel affiliate.18 In February 1998, KB Media sold the station to Eclipse Media, and then in September 2000, Eclipse Media sold the station to Pappas Telecasting. KWUN also included Telemundo programming during the overnight hours in the 1990s, until local affiliate KESE-LP began operations. on April 18 1998, Toon Disney began broacasting nationwide, KWUN added a digital subchannel to put Toon Disney on 58.2, now KWUN puts Disney XD on 58.2, while Toon Disney is off the air. Programming As a Disney Channel affiliate, KWUN produces Disney Channel programming and a newscast. KWUN produces Disney Channel shows such as Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Phineas & Ferb, Cory in the House, and many more and a Newscast called "Disney Channel 58 News". edit Current personalities Gabby Gonzalez - Anchor 6 & 10pm Jim Brinson -Anchor 5:30, 6 and 10pm Aaron Brillhart - Skywarn Meteorologist, 4, 5:30, 6 and 10pm David Bataller - Sports, 6 and 10pm Ana Corpus- Anchor, 4pm Rob Hughes - Anchor, 5:30pm Jennifer Jones - Weekend Sports, 10pm Cambi Brown - Weekend Anchor, 10pm Nick Montes - Weekend Anchor, 10pm Joey Norton - Skywarn Weekend Meteorologist, 10pm edit KWUN Alumni As KNBM-TV: Lou Dobbs Anchor / Reporter, now Anchor and Host for CNN. As KWUN: Fred Roggin - Sports Anchor / Reporter (1977-78); now NBC Sports and KNBC-TV sports anchor20 As KWUN: Dave Hecht (US Navy Public Affairs) Shanna McCord (now newspaper reporter for Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, CA) Melody Dunn (Anchor, now recording artist in Nashville, TN) Tierra Griffiths (Anchor, now in PR with MassMedia Corporate Communications, Phoenix) Katherine Kisiel (Anchor, married to former KSWT news anchor Chris Willis, now at KTBC) Steve Iandoli (Sports anchor, now at NECN) Lena Lewis (Main anchor, now Anchor / Reporter at KUSI-TV in San Diego) Gary Somerset (Anchor / reporter, now in media relations for the Government Printing Office) Chris Willis (News Director / main anchor, now at KXAN) Ashley Webster (now Overseas Market Editor in London for Fox Business Network) Hank Tester (Now anchor at WTVJ-TV, Miami) Gary Anderson (Lecturer at George Washington University) Dan Clancey Hobe Lewis Bob Lenertz (News Director, now retired) Beau Bagley (sports director, now weekend sports at KTSM) Doug Currin (main anchor, now morning anchor at WBRE) Patrick Crawford (Meteorologist, now at KHBS) Tyler Baldwin (main anchor, now at KTVK) Nadine Toren (anchor, now reporter at KSWB) Liz Frizoli (weekend sports anchor, now sports reporter at WPRI) Bernadette Flores (reporter, now reporter at KBAK) Aaron Pearlman (Meteorologist, now at KBAK) Christine Dinh (Reporter, now at KERO) Andrew Amador (main anchor, screen actor and weather anchor formerly of KCAL) Dave Kartunen (10pm anchor 2000-2001, now anchor/reporter at WSVN in Miami) Laura Rillos (weekend anchor/reporter, now reporter at KVAL) Lorraine Rivera (weekend anchor/reporter, now weekend anchor/reporter at KVOA) Autumn Sam (weekend sports, now weekend sports at KVIA) Vanessa Shirley (main anchor, now weekend anchor/reporter at WKOW) Jasmine Viel (main anchor, now reporter at KION/KCBA in Salinas, CA) Newscast Titles *''Topline News'' (1965-1973) *''NewsCenter 58'' (1973-1991) *''NewsChannel 58'' (1991-1997) *''The Disney Channel 58 Southwest News'' (1997-1998) *''Disney Channel 58 News'' (1998-Present) Time Zone note All times in this article are given in Mountain Standard Time. References ^ a b "Channel 58 Is Allocated To Yuma TV Firm", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 10, 1962-07-25 ^ a b "KNBM-TV On the Air", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 2, 1965-1-1 ^ "Second Television Station for Yuma Approved by FCC", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1956-01-26 ^ "Rejection Urged For Proposed Yuma TV Station", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1958-06-26 ^ "Yuma TV Petition Rejected by FCC", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1958-09-18 ^ "Battle Looms for Channel 13 Here", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1961-12-05 ^ "KIVA Opposes Petitions Presented by KNBM-TV", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1963-04-12 ^ "KNBM-TV Request To Hike Visual Power Is Opposed", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1963-06-06 ^ "KIVA Seeks To Halt Work On KBLU-TV", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1963-09-17 ^ "KBLU Plans Increase In Power", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 12, 1965-08-22 ^ "Public Notices", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 11, 1966-12-16 ^ "Yuma TV and Radio Outlets in Merger Plan", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1967-12-27 ^ "Legal Advertisements", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 23, 1968-05-22 ^ "Networks Turn Over", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 5, 1970-02-01 ^ "Yuma KBLU sold; radio, TV to split", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 1, 1977-07-21 ^ Johnson, Christina (1977-08-05), "Change is coming to local tv station", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 30 ^ "KBLU radio-TV split is approved by FCC", Yuma Daily Sun, The: p. 21, 1977-11-01 ^ "New Fox affiliates KECY-TV Yuma-El Centro, Ariz., and KARD-TV Monroe, La., drew strong November sweeps numbers.". Broadcasting & Cable (1995-01-02). Retrieved on 2008-04-08. ^ Reynolds, Sarah (2006-11-29). "Time's Almost Up for KSWT, Time Warner Negotiations", The Sun (Yuma AZ). Retrieved on 2008-04-08. ^ "KNBC-TV Talent Biographies". Retrieved on 2008-04-08. External links *Disney Channel 58 Website *Disney XD on 58.2 * * Category:Disney Channel network affiliates